Sex Appears to improve Brain Health in Older Adults, Scientists Say

Age is only a number!

"... A longitudinal study on life, sexuality, and mental sharpness in the US has now shown that sexual activity in older people, who do not live in nursing homes, is linked to better cognitive function down the road. ...

The dataset is nationally representative and includes information on how often Americans have voluntary, partnered sex (not necessarily intercourse), the level of pleasure they derive from that sex (orgasm or no), and how emotionally satisfying they find their sexual relationships. ...

Among those aged 75 to 90, the frequency of sex appeared to be key. This group was found to have significantly better cognitive function five years on if they were currently having sex at least once a week.

For adults aged 62 to 74, on the other hand, the most important factor for future brain health was the quality of sex being had, in terms of both physical and emotional aspects. ...

But while research has found that sex can have mental and physical health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, reduced distress, and improved happiness and well-being, its impact on the health of the aging brain is largely unknown. ...

Lastly, sex may improve cognitive function through the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked to improved memory. ..."

From the abstract:

"Using a life course approach, we examined how sexuality is related to cognitive function for partnered older adults. We utilized longitudinal data from two rounds of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) to analyze 1,683 respondents. Cognitive function was measured using a continuous Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score. We considered both sexual frequency and sexual quality (i.e., physical pleasure, emotional satisfaction). We estimated cross-lagged models to consider the potential reciprocal relationship between sexuality and cognitive function. Results indicated that sexuality was not related to later cognitive function in the total sample, but the pattern varied by age and gender. For adults aged 62–74, better sexual quality (i.e., feelings of physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction) was related to better cognitive functioning, while for those aged 75–90, more frequent sex was related to better cognitive functioning. Feelings of physical pleasure were related to better cognitive functioning for men but not women. There was no evidence of cognitive functioning being related to later sexuality. The findings highlight the importance of age and gender in modifying the link between sexuality and cognition in later life."

Sex Appears to Protect Brain Health in Older Adults, Scientists Say : ScienceAlert

Is Sex Good for Your Brain? A National Longitudinal Study on Sexuality and Cognitive Function among Older Adults in the United States (no public access)

The Blood of Exceptionally Long-Lived People (centenarians) Shows Key Differences over the last four decades of life

When will we have the first beauty contests among centenarians? 😊 To reach age 90 is not good enough anymore it seems.

Modifiable lifestyle factors versus genetics is still unclear. The quest goes on.

"Centenarians, once considered rare, have become commonplace. Indeed, they are the fastest-growing demographic group of the world's population, with numbers roughly doubling every ten years since the 1970s. ..."

From the abstract:

"Comparing biomarker profiles measured at similar ages, but earlier in life, among exceptionally long-lived individuals and their shorter-lived peers can improve our understanding of aging processes. This study aimed to
(i) describe and compare biomarker profiles at similar ages between 64 and 99 among individuals eventually becoming centenarians and their shorter-lived peers, (ii) investigate the association between specific biomarker values and the chance of reaching age 100, and
(iii) examine to what extent centenarians have homogenous biomarker profiles earlier in life. Participants in the population-based AMORIS cohort with information on blood-based biomarkers measured during 1985–1996 were followed in Swedish register data for up to 35 years. We examined biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation, liver, renal, anemia, and nutritional status using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and cluster analysis. In total, 1224 participants (84.6% females) lived to their 100th birthday. Higher levels of total cholesterol and iron and lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and total iron-binding capacity were associated with reaching 100 years. Centenarians overall displayed rather homogenous biomarker profiles. Already from age 65 and onwards, centenarians displayed more favorable biomarker values in commonly available biomarkers than individuals dying before age 100. The differences in biomarker values between centenarians and non-centenarians more than one decade prior death suggest that genetic and/or possibly modifiable lifestyle factors reflected in these biomarker levels may play an important role for exceptional longevity."

The Blood of Exceptionally Long-Lived People Shows Key Differences : ScienceAlert

Blood biomarker profiles and exceptional longevity: comparison of centenarians and non-centenarians in a 35-year follow-up of the Swedish AMORIS cohort (open access)